"There has been quite a bit of conversation in terns of the potential and the scenarios that may be playing out, but we're still hopeful," said Dr. Jose Vicente with Miami-Dade College.

"I think all of us hope there will be a resolution and that everybody will be able to continue doing their job," said Howard Goldman with the TSA.

If Congress fails to come up with an alternative plan by Friday's deadline, the federal government will be forced to slash its budget by $1.2 trillion over the next decade with $85 billion being cut in the next seven months alone.

Spending cuts Americans will feel the most

With no deal in place in Congress, $85 billion in sweeping federal spending cuts will take effect today, targeting everything from defense to education. Here's where Americans will really feel the impact of the cuts.

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